


Dog Days

by smore13



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Bi Baby, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mark is Not the Token Het, Queer Coven, Roommates, Strangers to Lovers, Werewolves, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:35:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28730559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smore13/pseuds/smore13
Summary: “So you’re saying I’ll have to start scheduling my coven orgies at someone else’s place?” Hyuck asked before he could stop himself. What the fuck, who talks like that to a prospective roommate they’ve never met? Luckily John laughed, but that didn’t stop Hyuck from kicking himself.“I mean, that would probably be a safe bet but I think you’ll find with me - just about everything is negotiable,” Johnny said slyly.or, Werewolf (30M) seeking cute witchy roommate (25M) to tease and torment! Must love dogs!
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 33
Kudos: 135
Collections: JOHNHYUCK FAN WEEK 2021





	Dog Days

**Author's Note:**

> Written for JohnHyuck Week 2021! Day 5 Monsters.
> 
> In my desperation to get something out in time for this week, I looked at the themes and thought... fluffy monster roommates :D  
> Sadly, I suck at time management and had to chop it in half, but I hope to be done by the end of the week~
> 
> Please enjoy

Hyuck stared at the flyer in disbelief. He tilted his head, turning the paper one way, then the other, squinting just to be sure. There's no way he could have possibly chanced upon perhaps the greatest room for rent deal in the history of all time just in his darkest hour of need! That sort of stuff didn't happen to Hyuck. That sort of stuff sounded like… well not to jinx it, but it sounded like fate.

It probably wasn’t…

But it felt like it.

“Am I losing it? Or does this sound perfect and timely and like it would save me ass before I get kicked to the curb by Markus and his  _ fiancée _ in anticipation of the wedding~”

“What did Yewon ever do to you?” Yeri asked, miffed. She made a face, leaning over to thunk Hyuck on the head.

“I’m pretty sure Yewon wouldn’t let Mark kick you out before you're ready, even if he tried,” Chaeyoung chimed in casually, curling her lip and raising an eyebrow in judgment. “When has she ever been anything but nice to you?”

“Excuse me, but I was  _ speaking _ to Renjun,” Hyuck sniffed, nose in the air. “Just because Yewon is nice and considerate and sweet and pretty and perfect and fun  _ doesn’t _ mean their betrothal isn’t putting me out, okay? Mark just bought that condo two years ago! Do you know how long I could have skated by with my low rent, saving money in my tiny back room, having never lived with anyone but my original roommate from college?”

“God, what an unparalleled tragedy, I feel so very bad for you,” Yeri deadpanned, leaning forward to swat the back of his head sharply. Hyuck yelped dramatically, leaning against Renjun as he fake cried. Renjun didn’t look up from his phone as he shrugged Hyuck off with his shoulder. “Nothing like listening to you blame my favorite cousin for your supposed woes.”

“That’s another thing!” Hyuck said, pointing his finger right in Yeri’s face. She gave him a look, batting it away easily. “I still have a bone to pick with you for introducing them in the first place! Like who’s bright idea was it to pair a witch with an imugi anyway?”

“Hasn’t Yewon made Mark better in pretty much every way since they got together?” Chaeyoung asked, pulling Yeri (who had stood to make for Hyuck’s throat) down gently by her shorts, nuzzling against her shoulder soothingly to calm her down. “Plus like… she’s got an affinity for water magic, so they’re actually kinda perf-”

“I don’t remember you thinking witch/imugi relations were so weird back when you had a Big, Fat, Ugly crush on Mark in our freshman year,” Renjun said, still scrolling mindlessly. He yelped, then glared when Hyuck jabbed him roughly in the side. Before he could retaliate, Hyuck shoved the flyer into his face.

“Focus! You're all distracting from the issue at hand! Well? Am I losing it?” he demanded, prodding Renjun obnoxiously. His friend gave him a look of unparalleled disdain before giving in, taking the ad in his hands.

“Ahem,” Renjun said, shaking the flyer out dramatically. “Let’s see:

Wanted - roommate (1); 2 bedroom, 2 bath. Secondary bedroom for rent (no ensuite). 2+ years commitment. Downtown area. $600/month including utilities (negotiable). Animal lovers preferred. Supernatural Only Need Apply. Racist, sexist, homophobic, speciesist need not apply 😂😂"

"It does sound freakishly ideal," Chaeyoung said, snatching the flyer out of Renjun's hand, to his heavy complaint. "Almost too ideal. Six hundred for half an apartment in downtown? Are you sure this isn't a scam?"

"Yeah, like who puts double crying laughing emojis on a  _ real _ wanted ad?" Yeri demanded, leaning over to get a better look.

"Someone old?" Renjun guessed. 

"Someone straight," Chaeyoung announced, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Someone old AND straight," Ryujin declared cheerfully as she plopped down bedside Chaeyoung, offering her a quick peck on the cheek. "What are we talking about?"

"Donghyuck believes he has miraculously found the perfect living situation, despite having previously found nothing worth mentioning for weeks," Yeri said primly, watching as Ryujin wove her fingers through the hand that Chaeyoung left resting on the table.

"Yeah, either fate is suddenly, inexplicably in Hyuck's corner or he's about to get scammed into next week," Renjun piped up, offering a sunny smile.

"See, I was  _ just _ thinking it could be fate!" Hyuck said excitedly, snuggling up to Renjun who groaned exaggeratedly, making the barest, half-hearted attempt to push him away. "This is why we're soulmates."

"You have no proof," Renjun muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He quickly gave up fighting Hyuck's affection.

"Hmmm," Ryujin said thoughtfully, reaching out to take the poster with her free hand. She laid it on the table, spreading her fingers carefully over the paper. "I don't feel any malintent… But if you want, I could run a few targeting spells just to be sure."

“You’re so helpful, babe,” Chaeyoung said, rubbing her nose against Ryujin’s cheek with a wide grin.

“Man, I love lesbians,” Yeri said dreamily, chin in hands, watching them.

“And we love you,” Ryujin replied, reaching out to boop her gently on the nose. Renjun and Hyuck exchanged a disgusted look.

“Should we leave y’all alone?” Renjun asked, scooting away minutely. “Do you three need some privacy?”

“Can we focus,  _ please. _ We’re talking about me and my problems,” Hyuck cut in, taking note of Yeri’s pink cheeks and Ryujin’s smug smile, tucking it away for further teasing at a later date. “Thanks for offering, but if you don’t sense anything, I think it’s legit. I was so desperate to find something that I hauled my ass all the way across town to the university to check the special bulletin board. You know the one-”

“Oh That™ bulletin board?” Chaeyoung asked, raising her eyebrows curiously. “The one that’s charmed to show you exactly what you need to see?”

“Holy shit, I forgot that thing even existed,” Yeri said thoughtfully. “Man, when was the last time you stepped foot on campus? It’s been years for me…”

“Same. It looks weird. Different. There’s a whole new wing, it’s wild. Took me an embarrassingly long time to find the thing-”

“If you found it on the fucking magic fate board why were you acting all surprised that it’s fate?” Renjun sneered, shouldering Hyuck so hard, he nearly flew off the bench.

“Why are you being mean to me?” Hyuck demanded with a pout, grappling when Renjun raised a fist to hit him, until he managed to grab hold of one of Renjun’s arms with both of his own. Hyuck hugged it tightly until Renjun gave up with a roll of his eyes. “It was still a long shot - the only thing that board ever gave me back in school were discount coupons to karaoke. The timing must have really been right for this.”

“Well Mister Perfect still has to approve  _ you,” _ Yeri said, leaning into Chaeyoung again to read over the contact info. “He’s probably had a million hits on a deal like that. There's no way it's still available, let’s be real.”

🐺

“The room’s still available,” came the nice, cheerful, mellow voice over the phone when Hyuck finally called later that evening. His name was John - no last name provided - and he was 30 years old. He needed a warm body in the apartment more than he needed the extra rent money - since he was a werewolf and actively working his way up the hierarchy, he tended to disappear for days at a time on short notice for pack business. Not to mention he worked as a marketing consultant. He’d apparently lost his roommate of 6 years recently to marriage (“Oh my god, me too! I’ll be out on the street if I don’t find a place before the wedding.” “Wow, kinda sounds like we were meant to be~”). “I have ads online, at work, all over town at this point. I thought I’d put the wrong phone number or something. Or maybe I was cursed.” John paused to laugh but Hyuck was silent. He squinted, considering. “The only other call I got was from a vampire couple a few weeks back and they were nice enough but… they were into some  _ interesting _ shit. I’m not one to kink shame but the walls between rooms are pretty thin here and honestly…”

“So you’re saying I’ll have to start scheduling my coven orgies at someone else’s place?” Hyuck joked before he could stop himself. He immediately chomped down on his tongue, screwing his face up in regret. What the fuck, who talks like that to a prospective roommate they’ve never met? Luckily John laughed, but that didn’t stop Hyuck from kicking himself.

“I mean, that would probably be a safe bet but I think you’ll find with me - just about everything is negotiable,” he said slyly. Hyuck made a noise that might have possibly been construed as affirmative but also did not sound human. John laughed again.

“Well, I mean, from what you told me you sound pretty perfect. Why don’t we plan a visit when you’re free? We can meet and you can check out the place in person, make sure it works for you, etc etc.”

“That sounds great,” Hyuck said weakly. He cleared his throat, glancing across the room at his clock. He straightened his shoulders. “Actually, it’s still early. If you’re up for it, I can come by now. Get it over with?”

“Oh,” John said, sounding surprised but not opposed. Hyuck took that as a good sign. “I mean, yeah, I was just finishing up my dinner when you called-” Hyuck tried to start apologizing profusely but John just barreled on, “so I’m free for the next few hours. How far away from downtown are you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I can be there in a snap,” Hyuck said smugly. John only chuckled. They agreed and said their goodbyes before Hyuck scrambled to retrieve the flyer with the address. He pulled the location up on his phone until he could visualize exactly where it was on the map. When he was satisfied, he jumped off the bed, running to the door to yell out to Mark and Yewon, letting them know that he would be going out but that he’d be back in an hour or two. He returned to the middle of the room, taking a deep, cleansing breath.

“Mreow,” came a plaintive meow. Hyuck glanced up to see his familiar eying him with distaste.

“Oh what? You’ve got a problem with me performing one simple spell?” he demanded hotly. The cat looked at him, meowing again tauntingly.

“‘Different definitions of simple’ my ass,” Hyuck muttered to himself, stretching his arms out and taking another deep breath as he brought his hands together at his center. He closed his eyes, concentrating. “I’ll see you in a bit. Try not to cause trouble while I'm gone. Don’t miss me too much!”

“Rreow~”

“Good _ bye, _ grumpy gus.”

Hyuck was not embarrassed to admit he actually snapped his fingers, opening his eyes in front of apartment 4C.

“Oh thank god,” he wheezed, leaning heavily against the doorframe. He was hoping to catch his breath slightly before he knocked. Unfortunately he was still heaving, bent fully in half when the door was ripped open a few moments later.

“Wow, you really are a witch!” came the same nice voice from the phone, this time sounding slightly impressed. “Good thing all I had to put on was pants or you’d have been waiting for- are you okay?”

“Fine. Great! …Fine,” Hyuck said, still breathing hard as he finally felt the energy begin returning to him. “Gimme a minute.”

“Hmm, would it really have taken you so long to get over here the old fashioned way?” John mused teasingly. “Or were you perhaps looking to show off a little with a spell that was just a bit too draining on such short notice?”

Hyuck made an affronted noise, straightening up.

“I was just trying to take you into consideration,” he complained, brushing himself off and checking to make sure he hadn’t lost any bits and pieces in the process - the hem of his shirt, a fingernail, his cellphone, etc. “Since it’s kind of late I figured I should get here as soon as-”

Hyuck stopped dead when he finally laid eyes on the man before him. He felt his entire body want to clam up. It was like he’d just been linebacker tackled right back to freshman year of college. It was not a pleasant sensation.

“Johnny Suh?” he squeaked before clamping his mouth shut regretfully. John raised his eyebrows, looking him over carefully. He tilted his head one way, then the other, looking very much like an overgrown puppy (Hyuck could practically picture the ears).

“If you’re calling me that, I’m assuming we either grew up together or you also went to school here in town. You’re a little young, so I’m guessing it's the latter.”

Hyuck tried not to grimace, quietly regretting his life choices,

“Yeah, uh. Well sort of. You were a TA for a few of my classes freshman and sophomore year. I didn’t talk to you much, you probably wouldn’t-”

“Not to be weird but, may I?” Johnny asked, tilting his head to bring his nose closer to Hyuck’s neck. Hyuck really didn’t know what to say to that, so he pressed his lips together firmly, offering a quick nod. Johnny placed his hand on Hyuck’s elbow gently, leaning in to get a good whiff of him. Hyuck stood frozen, trying not to move too much or like. Breathe. It felt like the longest 10 seconds of his life.

“Donghyuck Lee!” Johnny cried, enthused. Hyuck assumed he was happy he managed to make the connection. “‘Hyuck’, duh. I should have put it together. Wow, it’s been ages! I bet I haven’t thought about you in 5 years…” He stepped back to give Hyuck a proper once over, before adding brightly,

“You got taller!”

“Yeah, I… A little, I guess,” Hyuck muttered, running his hand over the back of his neck. It felt a little hot. He dutifully ignored the fact that it had definitely been at least _6_ years since the last time he’d seen John Suh. Or the fact that Yeri had randomly mentioned him a few months before and Hyuck had lost an entire afternoon to wondering what might have become of his favorite (read prettiest) TA.

“Well, you look great,” Johnny said kindly, eyes flickering over him briefly once more. “And you smell amazing.”

And… Hyuck didn’t really know what to say to that either.

He could see the moment John realized it might be weird. The dawning understanding. Hyuck tried not to laugh. At least he wasn't the only awkward one. At least not  _ all _ the time. 

"Ah. Yeah, sorry that probably sounds a little… I swear it's a casual compliment in wolf circles."

"Maybe I should spend more time in wolf circles," Hyuck joked. The sharp, intense look that cut across Johnny’s features lasted barely a second before he started laughing. Still, it was enough that Hyuck instinctively took half a step back when Johnny raised a hand - probably to nudge him playfully, or clap him on the shoulder. Seeing this, Johnny leaned back again, allowing his hand to drop to his side. He was still smiling when he glanced down at Hyuck’s feet.

“Oh?” he said, surprised now. “Did your shoes get lost in the process? I’ve heard that non organic or non living material is the first to go when you aren’t able to provide enough energy for a spell, but the most I’ve seen someone lose is a sleeve. Maybe an eyebrow…”

Hyuck glanced down in horror at his socked feet, wiggling his toes mindlessly. He had to stop himself from slapping his hand to his forehead, mortified. He’d forgotten to put on shoes, teleporting straight from his room. Holy shit, just end him now.

“Oh! Yeah! Look at that! Never had that happen before!” Hyuck said loudly. John raised his eyebrow, smiling indulgently. Hyuck wasn’t sure if he was relieved or insulted that he didn’t seem to willing to push. “Well, maybe we should like… move this party inside, then?”

“Yes, of course,” Johnny said, stepping back. He gestured dramatically behind him. “My home is your home.”

“Hopefully! Soon,” Hyuck said good-naturedly, trying not to press himself fully against the far wall just to get past John and into the house.

It was nice. That much was clear as soon as he walked inside. It was  _ finished. _ Decorated - not just filled with random cheap furniture like Hyuck and Mark’s place (although Yewon was slowly attempting to correct that). It looked like a grown up’s apartment. An Adult™. Hyuck admired it, trying not to let himself be intimidated. He tried looking for any imperfections that he could better relate to. There was some mail and a magazine spread out on the coffee table. The only lights that were on in the whole place were one in the kitchen and the one on the balcony. ‘Wolves and their night vision,’ he thought idly. He looked over at the counter. One of the barstools was pulled out and a plate with some mostly raw vegetables and an incredibly rare steak (half gnawed, silverware untouched).

“Wait! I interrupted your dinner!” Hyuck cried in dismay. “You told me you were almost done!”

He turned abruptly, feeling bad, to find Johnny standing just a bit closer than he expected. He blinked in surprise but Johnny was already waving his concern away.

“That _is_ almost,” he said reassuringly. Hyuck pursed his lips, not buying it. John looked like he was trying to force down a smile. “It is! I mean, when we were on the phone, I didn’t expect you to get here so damn quick, but-”

Johnny gestured down at himself and it was only then Hyuck noticed that he was clearly still wearing his work shirt, unbuttoned about halfway with the sleeves rolled up. There was a little fleck of blood (presumably from the steak) just above one of the button holes. He had thrown on a pair of impressively ratty grey sweatpants - so far the least put together thing in this apartment. There was a slightly suspicious looking stain beside the crotch and Wow, Hyuck was definitely not looking at or thinking about that anymore. 

“Sorry,” he managed, staring straight into Johnny’s eyes to avoid looking anywhere else. Then he remembered Werewolf, so he dropped his gaze to Johnny’s lips. Nope! Nose. Chin. Right ear lobe. Ding ding ding, we have a winner.

“I should have let you know my plan before just dropping in,” Hyuck told Johnny’s right ear lobe. It had an earring in it. Not silver, presumably. “Given you a chance to get ready.”

“Hey,” Johnny said, reaching his hand out. He didn’t quite touch Hyuck’s face, rather flicked his finger beside it to catch Hyuck’s attention before drawing it back to his own. Johnny’s eyes were warm and amused when he met them again. “I said it was no big deal, didn’t I?”

“I… don’t know. Did you?”

“Ah, well I meant to. I thought it,” Johnny said with an easy smile. Everything was easy for him, wasn’t it? Hyuck worked to hold his gaze.

“Now see, that might be the problem. I’m far too polite to read your mind without permission,” Hyuck teased weakly. “Plus I still pretty pooped from poofing over here. No more complex magic for a while.”

John laughed, moving to collect his plate and cup. Hyuck stood frozen as Johnny slid past.

“Would you like something to drink? Water? A beer? Anything?”

“I’m g- ahem. No thanks, I’m fine,” Hyuck said, tugging on the seam of his jeans.

“Why don’t I just show you around the place, then?” Johnny suggested, popping back into view with a grin. Hyuck nodded, waiting for Johnny to walk past before he followed.

“Here we have the living room,” Johnny said, gesturing grandly with both hands. Hyuck looked around blankly before reaching across him carefully to flick on the lights. Johnny was still laughing loudly when Hyuck declared,

“Looks nice. Big. Fancy ass- fancy TV.”

“Sorry, I forget people need to see things,” Johnny sang, bumping Hyuck lightly with his shoulder. “You’d obviously be welcome to all of the shared area - hang out, veg, have friends over as long as you warn me. Just try to clean up after yourself. I’m not afraid to ride your ass if you’re too messy.”

“HAH,” Hyuck said involuntarily, walking over to the couch (not away from Johnny). He pushed at the armrest and back with his hand, turning and sitting. He bounced a few times, looking around at the coffee table, then the windows, then the bookshelf. Johnny was watching him very closely when he looked back. Hyuck instantly stood, gesturing back at the couch.

“It’s. Comfortable,” he muttered by way of explanation, walking past Johnny toward the hallway. “Bedrooms are this way?”

“Yep!” Johnny confirmed cheerfully behind him. “First it’s the bathroom, then yours. Mine is at the end of the hall. Wouldn’t take me long to hide the dead body or the sex swing if you wanna take a look.”

Hyuck laughed. Well, that’s what he attempted to do. It came out entirely too high pitched and nervous. He needed to get a hold of himself.

“I’m assuming the sex swing part is a joke,” he tried, smiling when he heard Johnny chuckle. “I don’t need to go poking around your room. I’ve put you out enough for one night.”

Hyuck nearly wheezed at the sudden thump on his shoulder.

“I said you didn’t,” Johnny said sternly, prodding him once more - a bit lighter this time. “But I mean, if you’re moving in anyway, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to check it out next time!”

Hyuck did not point out that he had not yet agreed to move in. Mostly because he was busy stressing over all possible implications of Johnny theoretically inviting Hyuck into his bedroom at a later date. Or whatever. It was just a joke anyway. Probably.

Hyuck popped his head into the guest bathroom. It was nice. Decorated. Matching towels. A candle. He moved on to the bedroom, flicking the light on and stepping inside.

“It’s big!” Hyuck said, surprised, craning his neck to see the closet. There was an Ikea dresser and bed frame still inside, presumably left by the previous resident for future use. It was definitely bigger than his room in Mark’s condo. “I know you said you don’t need the money but how the  _ hell _ are you charging so little-  _ oof!” _ Hyuck attempted to backpedal out of the room, crashing into the solid wall of muscle that was Johnny’s torso instead. Hyuck hadn't even noticed him standing right at his heels.

“Oops!” Johnny said pleasantly, gripping Hyuck by the shoulders to steady him. He did not sound particularly apologetic.

“You’re really good at… sneaking,” Hyuck accused, trying not to sound sulky. He tilted his head all the way back until he could see Johnny’s face. He was smiling down widely,

“Thanks! Lifetime of practice!”

“You know, it’s very hard not to compliment you.”

“Aw, you don’t have to say that~”

Hyuck scoffed, shaking his head with a grin. Then he realized that they were just standing in the doorway of his room with Johnny holding him like a cheesy prom pose. He cleared his throat, wriggling delicately out of Johnny’s grip. He placed one hand over John’s chest, pushing him away exaggeratedly. To his great relief, Johnny allowed himself to be moved.

“Maybe a little breathing room,” Hyuck said weakly. “Might make it easier to think.”

“Think?” Johnny asked, titling his head. A whole ass puppy. “About…?”

Hyuck just looked at him for a second, waiting.

“About whether or not I want the room?” he supplied when no connection was made. Johnny deflated. Hyuck could imagine ears drooping dramatically.

“I mean… it looks really good though. I like it. And it’s obviously an amazing deal,” he offered. Johnny immediately perked up again, imaginary tail wagging. Oh lord. Give him strength.

“Great. We can talk details in the kitchen,” Johnny said, tapping his finger just below his hip before turning to walk out of the room. Hyuck stared after him for a moment. Was he being trained??

“Donghyuck,” John called sharply from the hallway.

“Coming!” he squawked, hurrying after.

🐺

“I just really can’t believe I’d be getting all that for so cheap,” Hyuck said, chomping on the cheese puffs that John claimed to keep around ‘for guests’. Guests who weren’t carnivores worried about maintaining their six packs, Hyuck supposed. He grabbed another handful from the bowl. “I feel like I’ll have to do something extra around here. Earn my keep.”

“I'm entirely willing to go lower if you want to take up cooking and chores, stuff like that, on a regular basis,” Johnny said genially. “I sure wouldn’t mind the help. Like I said, I’m gone often enough that just having someone around, taking care of the place when I skip town with next to no notice is more than enough. And it would be closer for you, right? Do you work nearby?”

“Oh. Yeah, I help my friend run a shop in midtown,” Hyuck said, almost shy. “They inherited it from their uncle a few years back. I haven’t bought in or anything. I mostly just manage the store and help with the books. Keep them from losing their shit at customers, you know.”

“That sounds great! Working with the right friend can be really rewarding,” Johnny said earnestly, expression full of warmth. “Is it a magic shop?”

“Yeah,” Hyuck said, immediately glancing away. He focused intently on wiping all of the orange gunk off of his fingers with a paper towel. “Nothing special, really. But I like it.”

“I’ll bet.”

Hyuck kept his eyes resolutely on his hands until he abruptly remembered.

“Ah! There is one important thing!” he said, crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it toward the trash can, only to belatedly realize it had a lid. Johnny just laughed at him. “I’ll have to bring my familiar… but she’s a cat. Is that going to be okay?”

“Sure! I love kitties,” Johnny said easily. Then he turned skeptical. “Why? You think I would have a problem with that? You think just coz I’m a dog, I wouldn’t like cats?”

Hyuck gaped at him for a moment.

“I was more asking about the apartment’s pet policy??” he said, mildly alarmed. He pointed straight out with his right hand, not bothering to look. “Plus you’ve got a goldfish, so like…”

Johnny glanced in the direction he was pointing, chuckling sheepishly.

“That’s… a valid concern then, yes,” he said, scratching at the back of his neck. “The apartment usually charges for pets, but familiars are allowed without a deposit. I can get a closed aquarium for Phillip. I won him at a fair a few months back and, in all honesty, I didn’t think he’d live this long.”

“Well, good then. So that’s settled,” Hyuck said, sliding his hand across the counter toward him tentatively. “I mean, if you want me I’m definitely interested. I’d be an idiot to pass up a deal like this.”

“I’d love to have you, Hyuck,” Johnny said with a grin, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “So you’re committing then, right? Ready to seal your fate?”

It was a joke. Or at least that’s how Johnny meant it. But it was enough to give him pause.

“That’s- I mean… Sure, what the hell,” Hyuck said, blinking when John held out his hand to shake. Hyuck took it.

“Great! This is a big relief for me - I have a trip planned at the end of the month. I can get all the sublease contractual paperwork stuff for you to sign in the next few days. After that, I’m ready for you whenever you are.”

“Great,” Hyuck echoed. He took his hand back, leaning against his barstool and kicking his feet idly. John glanced at them.

“So, how are you getting home? I assume you’re not up for another fancy ‘now you see me’ trick so soon,” he teased wryly. Hyuck laughed, cheeks heating slightly.

“Nah, I thought I’d get home the old fashioned way,” he confirmed, still kicking his feet.

“Which is?”

“Um. The bus probably?”

“In your socks?”

Hyuck looked down, aghast. He’d already forgotten that he had forgotten. Dammit.

“Well-”

“Let me go put on some real pants,” Johnny said, already standing. “I’ll give you a ride home. Won’t be a minute.”

Hyuck tried desperately to protest but he was initially shushed, then promptly ignored as Johnny disappeared down the hall.

When he reappeared less than 5 minutes later (still wearing the shirt with the blood stain, still unbuttoned. Not that Hyuck was looking), he jokingly offered to give Hyuck a piggyback ride to the car, since he had no shoes. At least, Hyuck hoped it was a joke. He refused, and settled on borrowing a too big pair of sandals instead. Johnny drove a BMW because of course he did. It wasn’t white though, so points there. The drive home was brief and nearly painless. Hyuck mostly let Johnny do the talking, since he liked hearing Johnny talk - especially about himself - and because he felt that he’d embarrassed himself enough for one day. Ah, but Johnny had other plans.

Hyuck watched in horror as Johnny parked in a guest spot, walked him to the door, and introduced himself to a supremely confused Mark and Yewon. Johnny shook both of their hands, turning down their offer of coffee, but stood in the foyer for 15 minutes chatting graciously before he finally took his leave. At least Hyuck managed to remember to give his sandals back.

“What was that all about, dude? You said you were going out but you never left the room,” Mark demanded as soon as the door closed, thoroughly baffled. “And how did you find a roommate so fast? I didn’t even know you-”

“Uh huh. ANYWAYS, I’m pretty tired, talk to you in the morning,” Hyuck interrupted, yawning loudly each time Mark tried to protest. “Night Yewon!”

“Goodnight, Hyuck” she said, sounding a lot more amused by the situation than Mark was. “Sleep tight! Don’t let the werewolves bite~”

Hyuck groaned loudly, stomping into his room and shutting the door roughly behind him. He sighed, feeling a weird mixture of exhausted and kind of giddy. He turned to find Bear sitting right in the middle of his bed, gazing at him critically.

Hyuck glared at her, engaging in a staring match that he was quick to lose.

“I don’t know what your issue is,” he muttered grudgingly, walking over to pull a sleep shirt from his drawer. “I’m just trying to keep a roof over our heads! I’m being a responsible adult.”

“Meow!”

Hyuck glanced down at his socked feet, shooting her one last death glare.

“I was in a hurry! Anyway, I’d like to see  _ you _ perform a perfectly executed teleportation spell on zero notice!”

“Mrrew…”

“Yeah, yeah. Everybody’s a critic.”

**Author's Note:**

> John: *smells Hyuck*  
> John casually: Wow, that's so weird, you smell like the loml, haha. Sure wasn't the case when you were a pimple faced 19 year old :DD
> 
> Ten is the friend Hyuck works with/for! They're also a part of the queer coven. In fact, I'm guessing they started it lol
> 
> Ryujin is a useful lesbian per canon and she & Chaeyoung are full on doppelbangers with their short bleached blonde looks
> 
> Let me know what you think~  
> [twt](https://twitter.com/stephaech)  
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/smore13)


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